Monday, July 23, 2007

Books that formed me

Every now and then someone gives a list of books that were influential for that person. These lists are never perfect-they always leave someone out. But they are fun and biographical. These books are in no particular order. And I will deliberately leave some out: Calvin, Van Til, Bahnsen, and Rushdoony. Not because they are unimportant, but that it would be obvious that these men have influenced me and aren't needed on the list.

(In no particular order)10. God, Revelation, and Authority 6 volumes by Carl F. H. Henry. I went to an undergraduate school that in many ways was hostile to historic Christianity. Henry gave me a comprehensive worldview and response to the challenges of the faith (*I have only read volumes 1-3).

9. Lectures on Calvinism by Abraham Kuyper. The opening shot in the battle for the Christian worldview. Kuyper was a brilliant rhetorician.

8. Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. I read this in college. It showed me how to unite both head and heart, as well as steering me away from unbiblical spiritualities.

7. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton. This book got me excited about the Reformation and gave me the intellectual fortitude to face the attacks in college.

6. The Kingdom of Christ by Russell Moore. Moore went beyond Carl Henry. It was a call for political theology while avoiding both theological masochism and naive triumphalism.

5. Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. A challenging read that forced me to look at tensions I had in my own life concerning authority and new moves in the theological world.

4. Paul: An Outline of his Theology by Herman Ridderbos. An exciting work that affirmed justification by faith but also gave emphasis to other Pauline themes that were important to the apostle.

3. God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams by David Wells. Any book by Wells will count. Wells shows how we have remade God in our own image. This God demands little, has no hard angles, but can't save us.

2. Reformed Theology in America: A History of its Modern Development edited by David Wells. Opened my eyes to different traditions in the Reformed faith. The section on Dutch theology introduced me to Cornelius Van Til.

1. Beowulf by some Celtic bard. I read this poem whenever I need to feel a North wind blast against the fog in my brain.

1 comment:

Hi Jacob, thanks so much for visiting my websites from the Puritan Board. And thanks for sharing your blog, too. I like your blog as well as the web address you chose for it. :) May the Lord continue to bless you with His wonderful grace.